bound 1 of 5

noun (1)

Definition of boundnext
1
as in limit
a real or imaginary point beyond which a person or thing cannot go the language in the novel really is beyond the bounds of decency

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2
as in confines
the line or relatively narrow space that marks the outer limit of something colored outside the bounds of the drawing

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bound

2 of 5

noun (2)

as in leap
an act of leaping into the air the kangaroo took one giant bound and was gone

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bound

3 of 5

verb (1)

1
as in to define
to mark the limits of the country is bounded by water on two sides

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2
as in to border
to serve as a border for being bounded on all sides by the Alps has helped Switzerland maintain its neutrality

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bound

4 of 5

verb (2)

1
as in to hop
to move with a light springing step the child giggled and bounded off to play with her friends

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to leap
to propel oneself upward or forward into the air a rabbit bounded down the garden path

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bound

5 of 5

adjective

ˈbau̇nd How to pronounce bound (audio)
as in determined
fully committed to achieving a goal I am bound and determined to write a novel before I turn 30

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bound
Noun
The bug must be sorted out, to keep the state within the bounds of constitutionally acceptable cruelty. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2026 That’s not to mention what could be a massively consequential midterm election, fueled by AI anxiety among voters, that could test the bounds of their power. — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Verb
But previous grids had been tightly bounded—patches of orthogonal civilization within an arcing and twisting terrain. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 The old ranch hand cut a surprisingly sprightly figure in his warehouselike clinic, bounding from room to room. — Kyle Paoletta, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Adjective
The bound paper booklets in which students hand-write their responses to test questions have surged in popularity during the AI explosion. — Jamil Zaki, CNBC, 12 May 2026 The Dodgers’ split-squad group that journeyed the 14 miles from Glendale (and ultimately lost to Texas, 7-6) was largely a skeleton crew of Triple-A bound prospects and wannabes. — Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas Morning News, 28 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bound
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bound
  1. limit
  2. edge
  3. leap
  4. define
  5. border
  6. hop
  7. jump
  8. determined
Noun
  • Real-estate holdings are exempted from the tax so that Proposition 40 can’t be accused of violating Proposition 13’s property-tax limits.
    — Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
  • One of the lawsuits says Fox gave Hall free rein to push the Fox news team into an area he'd been repeatedly warned was off limits.
    — Jennifer Schmidt, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of limit
Noun
  • To continue to compete at the cutting edge, OpenAI needs to keep raising cash.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The quick short corner surprised Greenville (6-16-5), and Barea hit the edge of the 18-yard box before lifting a cross to the far post.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of edge
Noun
  • Returning to those stocks is a real leap of faith, but Best Buy has been moving up nicely.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The biggest leap belongs to Missouri after the Tigers throttled Florida, 45-17, just a week after the Gators looked like worldbeaters in their dominant win over Ole Miss.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of leap
Verb
  • Many are calling for tougher measures — part of a broader rightward shift across Latin America, where security has become a defining political issue.
    — Carrie Kahn, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Abdy and De Luca represent a filmmaking approach that isn’t solely defined by sequels and CGI.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of define
Verb
  • Lithuania, which directly borders Kaliningrad, rejected Moscow’s warning and accused Russia of trying to undermine NATO unity and Western support for Ukraine.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • In Moldova -- which borders western Ukraine and is not a NATO member -- the national police force said in a post to Facebook that a drone exploded and damaged a communications antenna in the Anenii Noi district in the center of the country.
    — David Brennan, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of border
Verb
  • Consisting of eight sessions of several 15-minute talks held across two time slots, these were designed so that audience members could hop around at will.
    — Bartolomeo Sala, The Dial, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Everyone else just had to hop on the train or a domestic flight, but Alex is in Australia … trying to survive in this economy.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of hop
Verb
  • In some buildings using RealPage, rents jumped by as much as 33 percent in a single year — more than eight times the increase in a comparable building that didn’t use the software.
    — Lindsay Owens, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The injuries left her paralyzed from the waist down after jumping from a second-story window.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of jump
Adjective
  • Jackson says this is because he’s determined to focus people on the company’s success, rather than their own individual advancement.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Indeed, this equation between precognition and determined occurrence, rehearsal and performance, exists in the mind as a matter of protocol.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of determined

Browse Nearby Words

bouncy
bound
boundaries
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Cite this Entry

“Bound.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bound. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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